Walk a Little Straighter, Daddy
by The Queen of Double Standards
Summary: Yuki's childhood, Lily's graduation, visiting Kaito's children. He'd always come, far from sober, but they love him all the same. Oneshot.


**Author's Note: Yuki's portion uses simpler language since she's only nine.**

**Walk a Little Straighter, Daddy**

"Yuki, come in for supper!" my mother says to me while I wait on the stairs that face the front door.

"It's okay, I'm waiting for Papa," I say, looking into the entrance where my five-year-old brother and eleven-year-old sister watch me. Ryuto looks curious. Iroha looks like she always does, kind of squinty but not really caring about much. "You can start eating."

"Yuki, we have to eat together," Mama tells me, frowning a little as she comes out to meet me. She stands in front of me, blocking my view of the stairs. "Come eat with us, please."

"I'm just going to eat," Iroha says. I don't know who she's talking to. She serves herself calmly when she says it and pops a piece of supper into her mouth. It makes me hungry.

"Iroha, wait until everyone's seated," Mama tells her. She's getting that look that she always does before she has to go upstairs and have some alone time.

Iroha is like a lady and keeps her eyes shut and continues to eat while Ryuto looks between her and Mama with a panicked, confused look. He gets even more worried when she says, "Papa's not coming to the table, anyway. I'm never going to eat if I have to wait."

"Papa'll be home soon," I say.

Iroha sighs and says, "Give it a couple more years, Yuki, and you'll see how wrong you are."

Then, the door opens, and Papa comes in. His tie is loose around his neck, and his face and eyes are red. He has the smell of alcohol on him. It makes my nose wrinkle a little, but that's okay. My eyes shine as I stand and run toward him. I hug him, my chin on his stomach. I beam up at him.

"Papa, welcome home!" I say to him, so happy to see him. He doesn't react with anything but a grunt. Still, I look at Iroha and say, "See, I told you he'd be home."

"I never said he wouldn't be," she says back, her eyes still on her plate. She doesn't even bother to say hello to Papa. Ryuto doesn't, either.

And then, Papa walks past me without even saying hello. He's swaying side to side as he walks. I giggle and follow him.

"You're walking funny, Papa," I say, smiling at him. "It makes me kind of dizzy."

Papa doesn't even look at me as he sits in the chair where he always does. Without a single word, his head falls back and his mouth opens. He starts snoring, his eyes shut. Papa can fall asleep fast. It's really funny.

I hear Mama tutting from the kitchen with Iroha. My sister's still eating like nothing has happened. Mama says, "Doesn't come home for a week and then he just passes out in the chair the moment he does? Oh, Kiyoteru."

I take off Papa's glasses for him and put the on the table beside his chair. I smile at him and say quietly, "Night night, Papa." After smiling for him one more time, I go sit at the table with Mama, Ryuto, and Iroha.

"What happened to eating with Papa?" Iroha says with a mean smile.

"Iroha," Mama says sternly, but it's okay. I'm used to Iroha.

"He's sleeping," I say back.

Iroha makes a noise and then says, "Right. See how long that suffices as an excuse."

"Girls, please just eat." I can see in Mama's eyes that she's going to need a break soon. I also know she's been working all day because she hasn't tied up her long, blue-green hair in twintails like she likes to. She's always most tired when Papa's home. I don't know why. I love Papa, and I know she does, too, so why does she make him sad?

. . .

"Lily, you have to invite your father," Mum scolds me as I tie the front of my hair into a braid that holds back my lengthy bangs. Then, dissatisfied with the look, I set them loose again.

"I did invite him," I state, taking out my curling iron and rolling a strand of hair around the heated element. "He just never replied."

"Maybe he didn't get the letter," she argues. "You should give him a call so that he has time to get ready."

I don't want to be angry with her since she's just trying to keep my relationship with Daddy alive, but I can't help but inform her with an unintentionally hurt tone that goes unnoticed, "If he really cared, he'd be able to figure out that my graduation was coming up and he'd give _me_ a call. He's the grown-up, after all."

"Lily, you're eighteen," Mum reminds me. "You're an adult, too."

I close my eyes for a minute while my hair sizzles from the dampness still remaining from my shower. Tears might overflow if I don't act with caution. Then, once I've gathered myself, I open them once more and tell her, "Yes, but I've always been one. It's his turn to give it a try."

Mum goes silent then, pushing her long pink locks back behind her shoulders as she stands and says, "Alright, Lily. You're old enough to make your own decisions."

I laugh bitterly then and state, "I'm better at making decisions than he is." Mum is about to speak again, but my phone rings and I quickly take it. I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's making me upset. "Yo, what's up?"

"C'mon, Lily, we gotta run!" Miki rushes me. "Why aren't you at the door?"

I glance at my clock and shout, "Oh my gosh, I totally didn't see the time! Wait up, okay? I'll be right down!"

"Hurry!" she exclaims before I hang up on her. I set loose the strand I'd been working on, and it curls unnaturally against the rest of my straight hair. Still, I don't have time to fix it, so I'll have to deal with it. I kiss Mum on the cheek before shouting, "Love you, Mum, see you there!"

I rush outside and into Miki's car while she complains about us probably being late, and, sure enough, when we get there, our teacher hisses quietly at us and pushes us onto the stage. Luckily, Miki and I are both near the edges, so it's not too noticeable to the crowd that we're late, but our classmates still catch sight of us and laugh or snigger, depending on who it was. We're an infamous pair.

After hours of speeches and cheesy nonsense, they get onto giving us the diplomas. I peer out onto the crowd, catching sight of my mother and grandparents. I give Mum a smile, and she sends me such a proud gaze in return. However, it's not long before my gaze falls onto the empty seat beside her.

I should've known he wouldn't show.

I feel my heart sink as, in the background of my attention, the principal drones onto the next name, "Gumi Megpoid."

I'm going to be up soon. Gumi strides across the stage while her family watches. I feel gloominess sinking in as I come to terms with the fact that my father won't show. Then, Miki, sitting behind me, nudges my back. I glance back at her, and she murmurs with a huge grin, "Smile. We're finally getting out of here."

So, of course, I smile. How can't I when I never have to be here again, and, even worse, Miki has than ridiculous face on?

However, my smile fades when a loud clang comes from the crowd and all gazes fall onto the newcomer. A man with long purple hair stumbles into the gym, struggling to keep up on his feet as he makes his way to the empty seat beside my mother. A great smile leaps onto my face for only a heartbeat since life won't let me be happy about him arriving for long. I feel redness creeping into my cheeks as gazes turn onto me, recognizing him as my Daddy. He turns to Mum and says loudly, spraying spittle and alcohol, I'm sure, "_Shh_, Luka! Lily'll be up soon."

Anyone who didn't know he was my Daddy does now. I know I'm the colour of a tomato by this point. I suddenly don't know why I wanted him to come. Now everyone knows. My stupid, stupid Daddy. He couldn't even resist drinking today of all days. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. Why does he have to ruin anything?

I think it would've been worse if he hadn't come, though. He's Daddy, after all. I don't know what I'd do if he were to vanish completely.

Another name is called as I stare at Daddy. He sees me and waves largely. I want to be happy, but, oh God, everyone was watching. Then, his cheeks bulge out and his hand covers his mouth. He rushes out of his seat. He's going to be sick. Oh God, please let him get out first.

He does. He sways back and forth as he walks, and the entire ceremony seems to stop as everyone watches him go. It picks up again a moment after he leaves, and, just as I guessed, he's not here to see me graduate.

"Lily Megurine," the principal calls.

I sulk across the stage, shoulders pulled tightly toward myself as I try to hide from all the eyes on me. I just want to disappear. I make myself as small as possible until I can hide in the crowd.

He doesn't come back, even when the ceremony's completely finished, and I can't say I wasn't expecting him to.

. . .

"Grandpa!" Rin exclaims cheerily, coming down the stairs with Len as their mother, Ring, calls them downstairs to welcome him.

"There's my favourite granddaughter," my father chortles as he takes Rin in a hug. She flings into his arms immediately while Len stays back, standing hesitantly on the last step of the stairs. "How've ya been, Rinny girl?"

Still hugging him, she smiles up at the man and laughs, "I've been awesome, Grandpa, whereas _you_ smell like you just bathed in gin."

"How do you know what gin smells like, huh?" he laughs heartily, patting her on the back while his eyes glimmer playfully. "You'd best not tell yer Da' there what you've been upta." Then, he looks at Len, who's watching him reproachfully. "What's wrong, Lenny boy, not excited to see yer Gran'pa?"

"The smell makes me kind of nauseous," Len says honestly. He's a quiet boy, but he'll always say things as they are.

"Len!" Rin snaps, scowling at him.

"There there, Rinny girl, yer Da' used ta always say the same thing," the old man says breezily, grinning at me. "Ain't that right, Kaita?"

_You couldn't have come here sober?_ I wonder but don't say. He's too far gone to even pronounce my name properly. I look at Len, and I see so much of myself in him. He understands exactly how I feel about his grandfather's problem, and he feels exactly the same. Len's like me, whereas Rin's just like her mother: warm, welcoming, forgiving, easygoing. Ring and Rin always love when my father comes to visit, even if he's never once been sober.

"Yes, Dad," I reply finally, seeing that he and Rin are still staring at me.

"Grandpa, I redid my room!" Rin says excitedly, her eyes gleaming as she looks up at him. "You gotta come see it!"

"You should stay for supper, Leon," Ring agrees, smiling at him. "You will, won't you?"

"Say you will, Grandpa!" Rin requests, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's go see that room a yers first," he chuckles, patting Rin on the back and sending her on her way up. He begins to follow her, walking so unsteadily that its like he's doing some weird kind of dance. Len steps out of their way while Ring heads back into the kitchen, leaving Rin some time with her grandfather.

"Can't you walk a little straighter?" I say under my breath as I watch him toddle toward the stairs under the gazes of my fourteen-year-old children.

"Whazzat?" he wonders drunkenly, glancing back to me with glimmering eyes and a cheerful smile. I smile a little, tempted to forget everything when I see that face. "Didja say sommun Kaita?"

I let out a breath and reply kindly, "No, Dad, I didn't say anything."

"Gotta get ma hearin' checked, huh, Rinny girl?" my father laughs as he continues following her upstairs. Len's staring at me, and I know he heard me, but he's waiting for me to speak first.

"Sorry," I murmur, knowing both my father and I aren't being the best role models right now.

"You don't have to be sorry," Len states. He looks like there's something else he wants to say, but he just walks off to the living room without another word. So, I follow him.

"What's wrong, Len?" I wonder.

Len's watched my father for years, and he's watched the disappointment in myself, I suppose, upon seeing my father in this state. I feel awful to have affected my son like this, my quiet son who never wants to hurt anyone but will be brutally honest upon questioning. He's quiet for a moment and he won't look at me, but, finally, he says, "Please don't ever be like that, Dad. I don't want to ever have to ask you to walk straighter."

I'm stunned silent for a moment, but then my heart swells, and I hug my son tightly. He doesn't move, and I don't think he wants me to let go. I whisper into his ear, "I'm sorry, Len. I love your grandfather with all my heart, but I'll never be like that. Please don't worry."

Len closes his eyes against my shirt and murmurs, "You're the one who's leading me, and I don't want to walk crooked."

**Author's Note: Based on the song Walk ****a Little Straighter by Billy Currington. It's actually been done for a while, I just never thought to upload it. Hope you liked it! Please review if you have the chance.**


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